2026 TOURISM ROCKSTARS RECOGNIZED
Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach, FL — May 14, 2026 — The Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau inducted David Haynes into the Charlotte County Tourism Hall of Fame during the annual Tourism Celebration at Farlow’s On The Water restaurant in Englewood on Thursday, May 7. The Hall of Fame was established in 2014 to honor those who have had a substantial and long-standing body of work that has positively impacted tourism in Charlotte County.
David Haynes president and owner of Tarpon Real Estate is a native Floridian. He earned his economics degree at Florida State University, then went to work for the state of Florida. Eventually, he transitioned into real estate and heard the call of Southwest Florida. Twenty-five years ago, he and his family moved from Tallahassee to Little Gasparilla Island. The appeal of island life to visitors immediately caught his attention, prompting him to launch his real estate business, specializing in vacation rentals, featuring coastal and island living. And while he became an expert about our waterfront and island communities, he more importantly became a significant part of those communities. He served as Board Director of the Englewood Area Board of Realtors and was president of the Little Gasparilla Property Owners Association for over seven years.
David also became involved in the local chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, both as a board member and Government Affairs Director. In 2017, he became a member of the Charlotte County Tourism Development Council, where he continues to serve and help guide tourism in the county. Last year, he volunteered to be part of the improv cast for the Charlotte Players community theater fund-raiser, Comedy for a Cause. He personally helped raise more than $10,000 for the theater.
In partnership with the Charlotte Chapter of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA), three high school rising stars in the culinary and hospitality programs were awarded scholarships. Richard Carey and Nicholas Stewart from Port Charlotte High School were awarded the Extra Mile Award, Jamison Hintzman also from Port Charlotte High School was awarded the Hospitality Student Award and Spencer Gant was award the Culinary/Hospitality College Award. To date, the Charlotte County chapter of FRLA has awarded 30 students over $36,000 in scholarship funds assisting them in their journey to pursue a career in hospitality or the culinary arts.
Charlotte County comtinues to achieved a 99% satisfaction rating from the many visitors who frequent our destination. This achievement would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of the restaurant and lodging employees who are rockstar ambassadors for Charlotte County hospitality. Since the lauch of the Annual Tourism Awards six years ago, the VCB has received well over 130 nominations recognizing exceptional employees within Charlotte County hospitality.
Those recognized as the 2026 Rockstars were:
- Restaurant Front of House, Shannon Marshall with Peace River Seafood
- Restaurant Back of House, Kaden Oneal with Sunseeker Resort
- Vacation Rental, Casey Alderman with Parsley Baldwin Real Estate & Vacation Rentals
- Lodging Front of House, Ashley Chalmers with Hampton Inn and Shelley Quirrenbach with Manaosta Key Resort
- Lodging Back of House, Larry Poplawski with Days Inn Port Charlotte and Caridad Inclan with Fishermen’s Village
- Attraction, Tye Esposito with SUP Englewood and Joi Fellows with Babcock Ranch Eco Tours
- Retail, Mary Rundle with Beach Company, Barefoot Trader and Old Florida Gallery
The 2026 Partner of the Year award was presented to King Fisher Fleet. This award recognizes a tourism partner who demonstrates a high level of engagement, not just with the VCB, but with the industry as a whole. Their resolute “Yes” to partner with the VCB, whether it be hosting media, tour operators, film crews or even assisting us with a photo shoot, has resulted in dozens of media features and FAM tours which help tell our story and promote our destination nationally and internationally.
Hosted by the Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau, the Tourism Celebration focused on the theme, “Hooked On Hospitality”. During the 2025 fiscal year, Charlotte County welcomed an estimated 1.1 million visitors where over $80 million total taxes were paid by visitors and reached $1.26 billion in economic impact for our community. These visitor expenditures helped to support over 10,000 jobs in our community generating over $360 million in wages and salaries while also saving the average household $865 in taxes for the year.
About Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach
Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting all of Charlotte County, Fl as a world-class destination. We work with a variety of stakeholders to develop and implement marketing programs that attract visitors, generate economic benefits and enhance the quality of life for residents.
Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach is Florida’s best-kept secret of a charming natural paradise located on the idyllic Southwest Gulf Coast. This coastal community surrounding the state’s second-largest harbor sits conveniently between Tampa and Naples. Outdoor enthusiasts will find a haven of vibrant experiences in the sun-soaked oasis of the Southwest Florida islands, characterized by almost year-round sunshine and sub-tropical weather. Relaxation and discovery await in miles of waterways and inland exploration trails filled with unspoiled natural beauty. From beaches to boating, hiking to harbor tours, fishing to nature paths; to sun, shelling, and fossilized sharks’ teeth, Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach immerses lively locals and active adventurers in a pure island experience. Most notably known for its 230 miles of pristine unparalleled shoreline, including captivating river passages, a mangrove-edged aquatic preserve, and more than a dozen miles of natural Gulf beaches, the Charlotte Harbor Gulf Island Coast includes the areas of Boca Grande, Don Pedro Island, Englewood-Cape Haze, Little Gasparilla Island, Manasota Key, Knight Island, Placida, Babcock Ranch, Port Charlotte, Charlotte Harbor and Punta Gorda.
To learn more about Punta Gorda / Englewood Beach, visit www.PureFlorida.com, call 941.743.1900 or discover the destination on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @RealPureFlorida.
Punta Gorda Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau Contact:
Lois Croft – Director of Public Relations
Lois.croft@pureflorida.com | (941) 743-1900
